Flight benefits Northam
Besides witnessing history with the Bud Light Spirit of Freedom flight, the 7,000 residents of Northam are enjoying the worldwide exposure for their town, which is the second largest inland in Western Australia.
Don Burnett, chief executive officer for Northam, said the publicity for the town outweighs the nearly $40,000 Australian they are putting into the event, providing a grandstand for the expected 4,000 spectators, security, lighting, and heated tents.
“The amount of exposure we’re getting, you can’t buy for that amount of money,” he said.
Along with $15,000 of the town’s money, they are using a $25,000 grant from the State of Western Australia. Burnett said last year’s launch happened so quickly, after being moved a few weeks before from Kalgoorlie, some 350 miles east, that Northam officials had little time to plan. But this year, they’ve been able to apply for the grant and enlist the help of local volunteer organizations to plan for the event.
On the edge of the Western Australia wheat belt, Northam accounts for the majority of wheat produced in the region. With its location in the Avon Valley, Northam boasts weather conditions ripe for hot air ballooning, which is also a main industry and tourist draw.
Burnett hopes Fossett’s flight will draw more tourists to Northam and Western Australia. On launch night he said banners will display the town’s name, along with Perth’s.
“We’re not an international destination,” he said. “But Perth is. We want people to find Perth and then look around the region.”
Northam also is benefiting from money pumped into the local economy by crew members, national and international media and Western Australia visitors. Burnett said the Northam tourist bureau already has had many inquiries.
During last year’s launch, David Taylor said his four-room guest house, the Brackson House, was so overbooked by the media that he placed some guests in the lounge room and still turned others away.
This year Shamrock Hotel owners Richard and Sogna Riley are nearly full hosting Bud Light Spirit of Freedom crew members.
“We could have this attempt every week and that’d be good,” Richard Riley said.
Burnett would like Northam to have a permanent tourist draw from the flight. He hopes create an interactive display about Fossett’s flight in the town center.
“There’s no point in me telling the story over and over,” he said. “We’d like to put up a nice display and mark the history here
Nothing specific on window for the launch yet.............................